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Denver Broncos Mock Draft: Defense gets upgraded

By Cameron Parker

ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: A video board displays the text "THE PICK IS IN" for the Denver Broncos during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: A video board displays the text "THE PICK IS IN" for the Denver Broncos during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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Denver Broncos mock draft: Travis Jones #DL14 of the Connecticut Huskies speaks to reporters during the NFL Draft Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on March 4, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Denver Broncos mock draft, pick 64: Travis Jones, DL, Connecticut

One of the best aspects of the draft is addressing the best players at their position according to how a board may fall. Denver Broncos signed DJ Jones in free agency and still have Mike Purcell, but that should not make them say no to Travis Jones at pick 64.

Jones can fit any scheme and provides a surprising bit of athleticism at nose tackle. If Denver drafted Jones from UConn the team might have the deepest defensive line it has had in quite some time. Denver would be nasty up front.

Jones’ surprising athletic ability is tremendous for his size at 320+ pounds. He also offers active punch and counters to help create rush lanes for him. The area he shows is run defense. Jones sucks up double teams making it near impossible to move him off his spot.

Frankly, a trio of DJ Jones, Mike Purcell, and Travis Jones with DeShawn Williams makes for a sturdy unit upfront. The strength Jones has allows him to be a strong anchor that’s immovable.

One of the underrated aspects of Jones’ game is lateral mobility. There are not a lot of people who can change direction with the same range of motion at that size. He is a different breed in this area.

Unlike pass rushers, Jones is not going to show out with first-step quickness, but the athleticism he has in those other areas makes for a tremendously good player at his position. It would not be a surprise if a defensive coach like Ejiro Evero took a shot on him or any defensive coach for that matter.

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